From pig to farm worker and back to pig – that’s the path of the perfect swine flu virus. Likewise, chickens and turkeys, not to mention geese and birds, are hot zones for pandemic flu viruses. In the past, when governments grew concerned about a particular flu, often they will isolate, quarantine or even kill animals that carry a suspect virus. Now animal health and public health authorities are beginning to collaborate on more extensive bio-security. Producer Lakshmi Singh visits farms, fairs and clinics, to find out how surveillance is preparing for the next pandemic.

The illustration, which shows how flu pandemics are spread, is provided with permission from 2006 Albrecht GFX and the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Program Credits

World of Viruses: Flu Pandemic was produced by Lakshmi Singh, and mixed by Jared Weissbrot with support from science editor Barbara Culliton. This program is part of the series "World of Viruses" produced with support from SEPA, the Science Education Partnership Award Program at NIH, the National Center for Research Resources, in collaboration with NET Radio, the Nebraska Center for Virology and the University of Nebraska.

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